SPORTS OF THE TIMES

SPORTS OF THE TIMES; POTENTIAL AND ERIC DAVIS

By Dave Anderson

Published: May 7, 1987

Of all the words in baseball, the cruelest is potential. Duke Snider, the Boys of Summer center fielder at Ebbets Field, is in the Hall of Fame but some baseball people still wonder if he ever really fulfilled his potential. Darryl Strawberry hit more than 100 homers in his first four seasons, but some people wonder when he'll really fulfill his potential. And now, Eric Davis is leading the National League in just about everything, especially potential. But no matter what the Cincinnati Reds' 24-year-old center fielder accomplishes, can he ever possibly fulfill his potential?

''When you're performing,'' Davis said, ''the potential goes away, because you're doing what you're capable of doing. But when you're not doing it, then they say you've got the potential.''

In his easy voice, Eric Davis defined the difference between potential and performance as well as anyone ever has. And for now, he's defining performance as well as anyone ever has. After last night's 3-2 loss to the Mets, he was batting .396 with 12 homers, 27 runs batted in, 28 runs scored, 81 total bases and 14 stolen bases. That's performance, not potential. But not long ago, Bo Jackson was leading the American League in just about everything. Now the Kansas City Royals' 24-year-old outfielder is first only in Heisman Trophies. But he's still got all that potential that baseball people love to talk about. That's PO-tential, as in raw talent. ''Eric Davis has more raw talent,'' Pete Rose said, ''than any baseball player I've ever seen.''

But maybe the Reds' manager isn't a good judge of talent. After all, he always likes to say that he didn't have much talent, that he had to work hard to accumulate his record 4,256 hits. He seems to forget that the ability to work hard is a talent, too. Perhaps the most honorable talent of all. And because his work ethic more than fulfilled his potential, Pete Rose is arguably the best baseball player ever. Even if he doesn't think so. But then he never saw himself.

''Mike Schmidt's the best ballplayer I've ever seen,'' the Reds' manager said at Shea Stadium. ''Johnny Bench is the best catcher, Joe Morgan the most intelligent player, Dave Parker plays the hardest and Tony Perez was the greatest r.b.i. player. But Eric Davis has more raw talent than any of those guys. In Montreal he hit a ball over the runway in right-center field. I've never seen a ball hit that far to the opposite field. He's also the fastest runner. That's scary.'' At his desk, the Reds' manager smiled. ''And I get to write his name in the lineup every day.''

Rose likes to say that Davis ''can be as good as he wants to be,'' another euphemism for potential. And so Davis was asked how good he wants to be.

At 6 feet 3 inches but only 175 pounds, Eric Davis has a lean and hollow-cheeked look. His muscles resemble ropes. His legs are slender, almost skinny.

''He gets his power from his bat speed,'' Rose said. ''It's like he has cork in his arms.''

Three decades ago, the Reds had a skinny-legged outfielder named Frank Robinson who hit 586 home runs, including 38 as a 21-year-old rookie. And for a slugger, Robinson could run. He had 206 stolen bases in his career. But with 80 steals last season, Davis already has 120 in his career.

''The part I enjoy the most is running,'' Davis said. ''Anybody can hit a home run. Not many can steal second and third, and make diving catches. If you have the ability to steal bases, you have to use it.''

In the Reds' 2-0 victory Tuesday night, Davis beat out a routine grounder to Wally Backman, the Mets' second baseman, before Sid Fernandez could cover the bag. He stole second base on a pitchout. Then he stole third. He sat at his locker later with an ice bag on his right thigh and another on his left ankle.

''For me, it's easier to steal third on the next pitch,'' Davis said later. ''The pitcher's angry. The catcher's angry. The infielders are relaxed.'' Cleanup hitters aren't known for stealing bases, especially second and third on consecutive pitches. Jackie Robinson, Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays may have done it, but not often. In his 89 games as a cleanup hitter for the Reds last season, Davis stole 59 bases, including second and third in sequence ''half a dozen times'' according to a Reds' historian. With his power, the Reds eventually might not want Davis to risk injuring those legs by stealing so often. But for now, those legs are part of his appeal.

''There's been a lot of great center fielders who have come through this league - Mays, Cesar Cedeno, Bobby Bonds,'' said Davey Johnson, the Mets' manager. ''Guys who could really change the complexion of a game by any aspect of the game. I just wonder if we're jumping the gun on Eric Davis like the media usually does. It's not fair to him. Too many accolades before it's earned. Sometimes it can hurt you when you start reading about how good you are before you are that good.''

But as cruel as potential is, it's also irresistible.

''I wouldn't be surprised at anything Eric Davis did, except hit .400 -too many good pitchers,'' Rose said. ''You can't hit .400 with 600 at-bats. I know how hard it is to get 200 hits. You can't tell me a man's going to go 200 for 500.''

For all that raw talent, not even Rose thinks Davis has the potential to hit .400.